Activists say Airbnb makes New Orleans housing shortage worse
Airbnb and other platforms for short-term rental listings are exacerbating the housing crisis in New Orleans, says a new report from the Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative (JPNSI). The analysis in the report falls in line with similar findings in other cities — a substantial chunk of short-term rentals are controlled by operators with multiple properties, suggesting that landlords are choosing to put units on Airbnb and other sites, eschewing long-term tenants.
The rosiest picture of an Airbnb host is a homeowner or tenant running a casual bed and breakfast or letting out a spare room. But Airbnb listings are often put up by landlords who are serially renting multiple properties on Airbnb — and in New Orleans, the...